Population Growth and Age Structure · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Why some countries are young

Geography · People & Environments · ages 14-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. A chart shows a wide base of children. What does it mean?

    • Nothing about age at all
    • A mostly ageing, shrinking country
    • A mostly young, fast-growing country

  2. Which three change a population's size?

    • Rain, wind, and soil
    • Births, deaths, and migration
    • Schools, shops, and parks

  3. Births add people while deaths subtract them.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A country fills with pensioners. What must it plan?

    • Only new playgrounds
    • Pensions, care, and late-life support
    • Nothing at all

  5. A young country fills with children. What must it plan first?

    • Schools and future jobs
    • More retirement homes
    • Fewer classrooms

  6. Why do richer, better schooled societies have fewer children?

    • Babies are banned by law
    • Counting methods changed
    • Birth rates fall as income and schooling rise

  7. A student says ageing only means people live long, with no planning needed. What is the flaw?

    • Long lives need zero support
    • Charts never guide plans
    • Ageing sets pension and care bills that need plans

  8. Two charts: one wide base, one thick top. Which country needs more classrooms soon?

    • The wide-base country
    • The thick-top country
    • Both need exactly equal shares
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Why some countries are young W1-mt_0X30bM1Hox-s1

  1. A mostly young, fast-growing country · A wide base means many children and growth ahead.
  2. Births, deaths, and migration · Births add, deaths subtract, migration moves. Nothing else in the chant.
  3. True · That is the heart of the three-force chant.
  4. Pensions, care, and late-life support · Ageing populations need pensions and care systems.
  5. Schools and future jobs · Many children need classrooms now and jobs soon.
  6. Birth rates fall as income and schooling rise · Income and schooling link closely to lower birth rates.
  7. Ageing sets pension and care bills that need plans · Longer lives bring pension and care costs to plan for.
  8. The wide-base country · Wide bases mean child crowds heading for school.
Worksheet · LightMySky